


When the Weather Outside is Frightful

by rynthae



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Blizzards & Snowstorms, Christmas, Fluff, KageHina - Freeform, M/M, Smut, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-02-20 00:16:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13135164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rynthae/pseuds/rynthae
Summary: A blizzard brings Kageyama and Hinata together for the holidays, and dark secrets, deep affection, and happy memories emerge. The two get a glimpse into each other's lives and grow closer than ever as they share their first Christmas together, countless kisses, and heartfelt words.





	1. Let It Snow

“You guys really should head home for the night, it’s getting late.”  
  
Kageyama looked up to see Tanaka standing by the door of the gym, shrugging on his coat and a gray knit hat. Other than Kageyama and Hinata, he was the only one left. And Kageyama had the nagging suspicion that Tanaka had stayed just to keep an eye on them and remind them to go home and eat. Guilt flared up in Kageyama’s stomach as he straightened, wiping sweat from his forehead. Hinata hovered nearby, volleyball pressed between his palms. He made a face that screamed he wasn’t ready to call it quits yet. Kageyama’s expression softened at the sight. He wasn’t ready to call it a night yet, either.  
  
“We will. Just a few more minutes, I promise.”  
  
Tanaka sighed dramatically, and tossed something small toward Kageyama; he caught the set of keys, grinning gratefully.  
  
“Just a  _few_ more minutes,” Tanaka reminded him, eyeing the duo with suspicion. “It’s late and cold as hell out there, and a holiday weekend--so get home to your families soon, jeez.” Under his breath he added, “still can’t believe you two are more excited about practicing than presents.”  
  
“We will!” Hinata called over, expression breaking into a bright-as-sunshine smile. “Promise! Just a few more minutes and we’ll go home, Tanaka-senpai!”  
  
Tanaka’s chest puffed out a little at being called senpai, and his frown shifted into a grin as he opened the door. A gust of biting cold blew into the gym, and the older boy waved as he stepped out. “Stay safe you two troublemakers! And have a merry Christmas!”  
  
The door slammed behind him, leaving Kageyama and Hinata alone and pleasantly cooled off after hours of rigorous spiking practice. Hinata ran back into position, practically vibrating with excitement. “One more!” he demanded, as if he hadn’t said that every time for the past hour.  
  
"Obviously,” Kageyama retorted with a small grin. He waited for Hinata to lift the ball into the air toward him, watched the smaller redhead move as fast as lightning. Hinata squared up to the net and crouched low before jumping straight up—to those amazing heights that still gave Kageyama butterflies to see up close. Kageyama’s arms rose automatically, and he pushed up, fingertips firm enough against the ball. He took it exactly where it needed to go, touch soft enough to give it just the right spin—just the right velocity, so that the backspin would give the ball that sweet hesitation right by Hinata’s hand and open up a world of opportunities for him. Not that long ago, Kageyama thought a toss like this was impossible. A toss that stopped? Kageyama wasn’t great at science or math by any stretch, but even he knew that defied the laws of physics. And yet, here it was. The ball’s spin slowed it just right; the momentum died as it paused in front of Hinata’s waiting hand for just a split second—and the redhead slammed it down with power that belied his slight build. And he had that _look_ on his face. That look of pure exhilaration, of unbridled joy and triumph. Light pooled in his eyes as they crinkled, and his smile pulled wide as he haphazardly returned to earth.  
  
Hinata was always beautiful. It was hard for Kageyama to admit it, but it was true. He was beautiful in a way that was soft and fierce all at once, warm eyes capable of glowing with boundless happiness and kindness, or hardening with near-murderous intent. Hair a shock of bright color and always unruly, but fluffy and unique, and surprisingly soft. His smile contagious, pure, and unrestrained. And, despite how petite and admittedly adorable he was, or how nervous he got, he could be amazingly fearless, incredibly strong and—more than anything— _fast_. There were a thousand reasons for Kageyama’s affection for Hinata. The redhead had trusted him, reached out to him, when no one else had. He’d been there when Kageyama had felt more alone than he’d ever thought possible. But in moments like these, expression lit up in sheer delight as he cried out, Hinata was the most beautiful.  
  
“One more!” Hinata called back, already pulling out another volleyball from the nearby cart.  
  
“Yeah,” Kageyama agreed, even though he knew it would be more than just one. He was more than okay with that, though. And by the time the freak duo had worn themselves out, the wheeled cart empty and the gym strewn with wayward volleyballs, Kageyama had lost track of how many tosses he’d sent his boyfriend. It had definitely been more than a few minutes, and more than a few tosses, though. Panting, Kageyama reached for the last of his water.  
  
“All right, come on. We’re seriously going to be in trouble if anyone finds out we stayed this late.” Not that anyone would find out, but Kageyama could tell it was time. Hinata’s bangs stuck to his forehead with sweat, and he slouched with exhaustion, breathing too ragged, face too flushed. He needed rest. They both did.  
  
Hinata still gave a soft complaining whine, as if he didn’t know they were both completely exhausted.  
  
“Come on, help me pick up.” Kageyama frowned at the hopeful look that Hinata gave him. “You need rest. I’m not going to let you get hurt, damnit.”  
  
Hinata complained more loudly, but to his credit he did start picking up volleyballs. The two of them filled the cart back up, brought the net down, packed everything back into the supply room, and after awhile, had the gym clean and empty once more. The two stripped out of their sweat-soaked practice gear and into warm, dry clothes; Kageyama couldn’t help casting a glance over at Hinata to admire the other boy, even if his cheeks burned at the sight. As he pulled off his shirt he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, too. At least he wasn’t the only one sneaking looks. And, well, they were dating—even if it was still new and Kageyama still couldn’t believe his luck—and it wasn’t like they hadn’t seen each other in the locker room before, right?  
  
“Kageyama?”  
  
Kageyama jolted upright, sweater half-way on as he whipped around to look at Hinata, face heating up. “What?”  
  
“You were spacing out. Ready?”  
  
Kageyama could swear Hinata’s grin was just a little too knowing. The setter scowled despite his burning face. He shoved his sweater the rest of the way on, pulling on his coat and gloves in a hurry. “I’m ready, I’m ready,” he lied, throwing his bag over a shoulder as he stalked toward the gym doors. Soft laughter followed him. He was ready to give Hinata an earful for teasing him as he opened the doors, but ended up with a mouthful of cold fluff as a blast of snow caught him halfway out the door instead.  
  
“Woah...! Kageyama, it’s snowing!” Hinata jumped past Kageyama, laughing as he looked up at the sky.  
  
“I noticed,” Kageyama grumbled, wiping some of it off of his face. Hinata seemed undeterred. He caught a few snowflakes on his tongue, and many more collected in his hair and shoulders in glittering white. “You’re going to catch a cold, dumbass,” Kageyama pointed out, though the words held no venom. He took off his scarf and draped it around Hinata’s neck a few times.  
  
Hinata got a funny look, watching Kageyama more closely than usual.  
  
“What?”  
  
The redhead didn’t answer though. He reached up for Kageyama’s collar and pulled Kageyama close with it. On his tip-toes, his lips met Kageyama’s, leaving the setter breathless. Despite the chill of the snow and wind, the kiss was warm and soft, and Kageyama’s arms slid around Hinata instinctively. He pulled him closer as he returned the kiss. Hinata’s breath puffed gently against his skin between kisses. Kageyama’s hand found his way into the shock of red hair, and snow drifted down from where it was disturbed, settling on Hinata’s shoulders instead.  
  
Kageyama lost himself in their shared kisses, in the warmth between them as they stood in a curtain of white with the moon’s light obscured above, arms around each other. It wasn’t until he felt the smaller boy shivering that he remembered his own warning. It was cold, and after practicing hard for hours, the biting wind seeped into them even faster. “It’s freezing out here,” Kageyama reminded him, cupping Hinata’s cheek in his hand. He rested his forehead against Hinata's, just for a moment. “You’re going to freeze. Come on.”  
  
Hinata wrinkled his nose. “I’m fine,” he grumbled, pressing a small kiss to Kageyama’s jaw before grabbing the setter’s hand and leading the way over to his bicycle. “ _You're_ gonna freeze.”  
  
“I’m fine.” Kageyama rolled his eyes. At least he’d dressed warmly. Hinata looked like his light coat was thrown on as an afterthought, and he wasn’t even wearing gloves.  
  
“Stupid—bike—come _on_ ,” Hinata dragged his bike through the thick snow on the ground, fighting a losing battle.  
  
“Hey.” Kageyama frowned.  
  
Hinata ignored him, pulling harder on the bike and leaving a deep trail in the thick snow as the tires caught and resisted.  
  
Kageyama’s eyebrow twitched at being ignored, and he stepped closer. “ _Hey_.”  
  
Hinata let out a yelp as his feet dug into a patch of sheer ice and flew out from under him. Kageyama jolted forward to catch him—almost falling himself. Now that they were off of the grass, the ice was bad. Really bad.  
  
“Thanks,” Hinata gave him a sheepish grin.  
  
“Yeah,” Kageyama mumbled, pulling Hinata upright. “Just—leave it here, okay?” He leaned down to pick up the bike lock, and locked Hinata’s bicycle back into place.  
  
“Hey! I need that to get home Bakageyama!” Hinata grabbed his arm, yanking at it and scowling with displeasure.  
  
“It’s too dangerous, damnit!” Kageyama snapped back.  
  
“I can’t walk home, stupid!”  
  
“I know that!” Kageyama grabbed Hinata by the shoulders and met his gaze with a half-glare. “Listen to me for a damn minute, will you? It’s way too dangerous for you to be biking down a goddamn mountain in this weather. You can barely walk. You—you’re going to get seriously hurt if you try to bike home in this blizzard!”  
  
Hinata glared back defensively, but his eyes shone with the threat of tears. He knew Kageyama was right. “I don’t have any other way home! My mom—she won’t get home until later tonight and tomorrow is Christmas eve—, it’s the only way, I  _have_ to—”  
  
“For fuck’s sake... I said listen! You can stay the night with me, okay? It’s not far. You can get a ride tomorrow morning. You’re not riding down the mountain in this! I...!” Kageyama felt the blush creeping over his cheeks. “I’m just worried, okay? I don’t want anything to happen to you, dumbass!”  
  
Hinata blinked up at him, silent for a moment as he processed everything. “Stay with you?”  
  
“Yeah,” Kageyama sighed. “I know you want to be home with your family, and it probably sucks, but at least this way you’ll be safe and warm. And it’s just for a bit, I’m not going to hold you prisoner. I just—I want you to be safe.”  
  
Hinata’s eyes widened, and it was hard to tell in the dark but his face looked pinker. He fidgeted, struggling to figure out how to speak, before looking up at Kageyama, eyes wide with... excitement? “I—Is that really okay?”  
  
“Of course it’s okay,” Kageyama told him, reaching over to brush some of the snow out of Hinata’s hair. “My parents aren’t even home, not like they can complain.”  
  
“Okay! I’d like that. Kageyama—” Hinata slid his hand into Kageyama’s, smiling up at him. “Thanks,”  
  
“’f course,” Kageyama mumbled, giving Hinata’s hand a light squeeze as he started wading through the snow in the direction of his home. He let Hinata’s hand go—to loud complaining—just long enough to take the glove off of it and push it onto Hinata’s free hand before their fingers intertwined once more.  
  
Hinata grinned, looking like he was actually enjoying the walk, even though the snow was several inches deep already and still coming down hard. Most of the landscape was lost in the white haze, and a soft, frozen halos glowed around the light of the few streetlamps they passed.  
  
“Are your parents coming home tomorrow?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“But tomorrow is Christmas Eve, isn’t it?”  
  
“Yeah.” Kageyama turned away. He couldn’t face Hinata’s worried confusion, focusing instead on familiar street signs as they turned onto his block. “They’re on a business trip. They’ll probably be back sometime next week before they head out on their next one.”  
  
“What...?”  
  
Kageyama ignored the soft, shocked tone. He pulled Hinata toward a small house at the end of the block. Grabbing his keys, he shoved them into place, turning the knob.  
  
“They’re not coming home for Christmas at all? And they left you alone for a whole week?”  
  
Kageyama shrugged, kicking the snow from his shoes before he pulled them off and stepped inside. “They’re usually out of town for work. I don’t see them much anyway, it’s not a big deal.”  
  
“Sorry for the intrusion,” Hinata called into the empty house before pulling his shoes off and following Kageyama in. The two hung up coats and left their bags by the door, and despite his polite entrance, as soon as Kageyama clicked on the lights, Hinata ran off to look around the small house in something approaching wonder. It wasn’t big by any stretch, but the house was warm, well-kept, and neat, and the fridge and pantry were stocked.  
  
“Oh! This must be your room!” Hinata called out from where he peeked through the door at the end of the hall. “Your house is really nice! It’s kind of empty, though,” he poked at the lone orchid that sat on the table and inspected the two couches. “Did you guys get a Christmas tree? We got one a few days ago—it’s just a small one but it’s pretty exciting!”  
  
Kageyama sighed and opened the fridge. “No, we don’t have one.” He pulled out milk and poured some into a small pan, turning on the stove. Sugar and cocoa powder followed the milk shortly, stirred in until all the clumps dissolved and the comforting smell of hot chocolate filled the small home.  
  
“That sucks,” Hinata leaned over backwards from where he’d sprawled onto one of the couches. “did they at least leave you some presents to open while they’re gone?”  
  
Kageyama hesitated. It was a loaded question, and he knew it. He pulled out a couple mugs, poured hot chocolate into each and topped them with whipped cream. Walking over to the couch, he pressed one mug into Hinata’s hands. He sat down next to the redhead. “...no,” he murmured, nursing his hot chocolate and avoiding the redhead’s gaze.  
  
“So they’re gonna give you presents when they get back?”  
  
“No.”  
  
Even without looking at him, Kageyama could feel the change in Hinata’s demeanor. His voice grew softer, almost pained. “Kageyama.... What about yesterday? They were gone then, too?”  
  
Kageyama looked down at the whipped cream as it melded into the hot chocolate, becoming a frothy, ivory streak. He had stayed late to practice yesterday, too. Even if they did it all the time, extra practice with Hinata was still nice on his birthday. And the team had surprised him with well-wishes, cupcakes, and few small gifts. Hinata was no exception—even if he had gotten frosting on Kageyama’s nose by messing around, he’d made up for it with kisses, had treated them both to meatbuns after they finished for the night. He'd even given Kageyama a few small gifts. Nothing fancy, knee pads and a cute water bottle, but they meant Hinata had noticed enough to see the frayed edges and mended spots of Kageyama’s knee pads, or the way his old water bottle leaked. And they were things Kageyama would really actually use. Even if they were simple, they meant the world to him. And made it a little easier to come home to an empty, dark house and the knowledge that his parents wished they had no children after everything that had happened.  
  
“Yeah.” He took a sip of his hot chocolate and pulled the decorative throw blanket down. He wrapped it around himself and scooted closer to Hinata, wrapping an arm—and half of the blanket—around him, too. “They don’t really celebrate my birthday or Christmas anymore.”  
  
“...What?” Hot chocolate forgotten, Hinata looked up in shock.  
  
“They stopped a couple years ago.”  
  
“But... but it’s your _birthday_. I mean, I guess if they don’t like Christmas that’s fine, but—”  
  
“They like Christmas just fine.” _They just don't like me._  The words almost slipped out, but he stopped abruptly to prevent their escape. “They’re just... usually out of town on business trips, it’s normal. I’m used to them not being here.”  
  
Hinata looked up at him, frowning deeply, and making it very, very hard not to look back at him.  
  
“A couple years?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Since junior high then?”  
  
“...yeah.”  
  
“... _oh..._.” The rosy color drained from Hinata’s face, and he reached out to touch Kageyama’s cheek. He flinched, eventually meeting Hinata’s eyes. Hinata looked devastated. Pain etched between his knitted brows. His eyes searched Kageyama’s, hoping, probably, that he was wrong.  
  
Kageyama hadn’t told him much about what he’d gone through at Kitagawa Daiichi. But Hinata knew enough to know that the scars ran deep; enough to wonder what Oikawa had done that woke Kageyama up in a panic, night terrors clinging to him in the small hours of the morning at training camp. Or wonder why Kageyama struggled to look his old teammates in the eyes.  
  
“Kageyama...”  
  
“It’s fine.” Kageyama stiffened.  
  
“Is that... why they never come to our games? Are they ever even home? Is it really just you, here by yourself?”  
  
Kageyama grit his teeth and pulled Hinata close with his free arm. “It doesn’t matter.”  
  
“Come home with me tomorrow. For Christmas.”  
  
“What?” He pulled back to make sure he’d heard Hinata correctly. “Isn’t that—I’d just be imposing, and besides, shouldn’t it just be you and your family? Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. I have food, and a warm place. It’s enough.”  
  
Hinata’s eyes flashed with anger, “just accept my invitation, Bakageyama! I—I care about you, and—and it would make me really happy if you joined me for Christmas! Besides, you are letting me stay here for the night—so I can let you stay with me tomorrow night, it’s only fair! Come on! I want you to!”  
  
Caught off guard by the outburst, Kageyama stared down at Hinata, not sure what to say. He settled on “...are you sure it’s okay?” It did sound nice. Even if he would be imposing, the thought of spending the whole weekend with Hinata filled him with warmth and joy in a way that had nothing to do with his hot chocolate.  
  
“I’m sure! I’ll even call my mom to make sure, and to let her know that I’m staying here for the night and stuff, okay?”  
  
“All right, all right.” Kageyama leaned down to steal a kiss. The taste of chocolate clung to Hinata’s lips, just slightly. “...thanks.”  
  
Hinata laughed and kissed him back, jumping up (and nearly spilling his hot chocolate) to go make the call. “I’ll call right now! I can’t wait!”  
  
“I’ll make some dinner then. And be careful with your hot chocolate, damnit! Drink it, don’t spill it.”  
  
Hinata stuck his tongue out and retreated into Kageyama’s room to make the call, leaving Kageyama smiling down at his own hot chocolate. He felt, for the first time in a long time, excited for Christmas.


	2. All I Want for Christmas....

By the time Hinata re-emerged, fragrant steam billowed from the pot on the stove, filling the home with the scent of miso, noodles, ham, and spices. Kageyama served up a couple bowls, careful to be gentle with the precious soft-boiled eggs on top.  
  
“She said it’s fine! She’ll pick us up tomorrow, and you can spend Christmas with us!” Hinata ducked under one of Kageyama’s arms to get right in the way, and wrap his arms around Kageyama. He peppered his jaw with little kisses as Kageyama chuckled and tried not to spill their dinner. Kageyama pressed a light kiss to the top of Hinata’s head in return. Hinata’s hair tickled his cheeks as he stayed close, just for a moment, enjoying it.  
  
“Thanks,” Kageyama murmured.  
  
“No problem! I can’t wait—we’ll have lots of good food, and we can make a snowman, and play volleyball outside, and you’ll get to meet Natsu and my mom, and we can stay up late—it’s gonna be great, I promise!”  
  
“I can’t wait, too.” Kageyama grinned at Hinata’s enthusiasm and leaned down to steal a proper kiss. He felt Hinata’s arms loop around his shoulders, and wrapped an arm around him in return. “You’re dinner’s gonna get cold,” he warned, lips a breath away from Hinata’s.  
  
“Hmm,” Hinata pressed closer, kissing him back sweetly, undeterred. Abandoning their ramen was so tempting—the kisses were heady and soft, warm and addictive. Kageyama lost himself in them for a moment, eyes closing contentedly. Heat rose inside of him as their tongues met, hesitant at first, then more insistent. He forgot how to breathe. Instead, he memorized this moment, burning it into his memory and holding Hinata close. He swept his tongue against Hinata’s one last time, savoring the way the smaller boy leaned into him. Nipping at his lower lip, Kageyama pulled back despite Hinata’s protests.  
  
“You’re ramen’s gonna get soggy,” he pointed out breathlessly.  
  
“I don’t care about that—” Hinata grumbled, tugging on Kageyama’s shirt to try to pull him back down. He sulked visibly. Too cute.  
  
“Eat your dinner, dumbass,” Kageyama bumped his forehead against Hinata’s, grinning. “It’s not like I’m going anywhere, you know. Besides, we practiced hard today—I will  _not_ have you fainting because you skipped dinner after all that. Besides.” Heat rose to his cheeks with the admission. “I made it especially for you. So. You should eat it, at least.”  
  
Hinata’s scowl evaporated at the last few words, and he frowned a little. Standing on tiptoes, he stole one more kiss—a small one—and wiggled out of Kageyama’s arms to pick up one of the bowls on the counter. “Okay, okay.”  
  
Kageyama reached over for the other bowl, and lead the way over to sit at the table. The ramen had cooled down a bit... but the noodles weren’t soggy, yet.  
  
“Thanks for the meal,” Hinata mumbled, looking down at his ramen in growing interest as he picked up a softboiled egg with his chopsticks.  
  
“You’re welcome,” Kageyama teased, grinning as Hinata reddened and shot him a look.  
  
The two made short work of the ramen, remembering their hunger as they dug in, twin satisfied sighs escaping them as chopsticks settled in empty bowls. Kageyama put the bowls away, and glanced back at Hinata who’d reclaimed his spot on the couch. Maybe it was early... but the last thing Kageyama wanted was to forget the small gift he’d tucked away for him. Even if they hadn’t been dating long, Hinata meant the world to him—even if he’d rather tease him than admit it—and small moments like these brightened the setter’s life in ways that words could never do justice to. Simple things like sharing meals, sharing kisses, extra practice late into the evening.  
  
“Hey.”  
  
“Hm?” Hinata looked over, curiosity piqued.  
  
“I... got you something.” Kageyama ruffled Hinata’s hair on his way into his bedroom, and picked up the small blue package atop his nightstand. Three carefully wrapped boxes were tied together with a golden ribbon in a neat bow. He’d meant to bring it out into the living room, but when he turned, Hinata was there, eyes bright with interest.  
  
“Kageyama....”  
  
“Here.” He pushed the boxes into Hinata’s hands and sat on his bed. Even though it wasn’t polite to watch someone open a gift... formality had been thrown out the window since day one with the duo. “It’s not much but... I hope you’ll like it.”  
  
“Oh! For me?? But it’s not even Christmas yet Bakageyama—” Hinata laughed, but he hugged the package close nonetheless.  
  
“It’s okay, you can open it whenever.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Really.”  
  
Hinata grinned down at his small armful. “Well... if you’re _sure._ But—Kageyama you didn’t need to get me three things! You better not have overdone it!”  
  
Kageyama wrinkled his nose. “I’ll get you as many presents as I want, dumbass, it’s not like you actually have to give me anything in return you know—I just... like seeing you smile.” The sentence trailed off into a low mumble toward the end, and he looked away sheepishly. Hinata wouldn’t have it, though.  
  
“Of course I got you something! I get to give you presents, too, you know! And,” Hinata’s grin turned devilish. “I like your smile, too.”  
  
Heat rose to Kageyama’s face. “Just—open your present already.”  
  
“Hmm, okay!” Hinata pulled the blue paper off of the boxes in record time, golden ribbon drapped over one of his arms haphazardously as he opened the first box. A collection of decorative peppermint bark nestled inside, fragrant and colorful with red swirled candy pieces mixed into dark and white chocolate. “Ooh, it smells good,” Hinata hummed, setting it carefully to the side before investigating the next box. A pastel pink and yellow scarf was folded carefully inside, soft as a dream. His eyes lit up, and that beautiful, bright-as-sunshine smile that Kageyama adored so much spread across his lips as he draped it around his shoulders experimentally. “Oh! Kageyama, this is _nice!_ And—it’s so soft...!”  
  
Kageyama grinned a little, glad he liked it. The soft colors somehow suited the loud, tiny spiker. “It looks nice on you,” he offered, in a rare honest compliment.  
  
Scarf still wrapped around him, Hinata opened the last box, and his bright smile shifted to surprise. “Kageyama....”  
  
Kageyama frowned, hearing the change in the redhead’s tone. “You don’t like it?”  
  
“No that’s not...! I just, you definitely went overboard Kageyama! This is way too nice—I couldn’t possibly accept this!” Hinata reached down, pulling the pendant from the box. A small stone caught the light in a flash of color, tiny silver wings spread to either side. The white metal of the chain pooled in Hinata’s hand around it.  
  
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Kageyama retorted. His frown deepened, though. Maybe Hinata didn’t like it, after all. Hinata seemed shocked. Good shocked or bad shocked, it was hard to tell.  
  
Hinata clutched the pendant close to his chest with one hand, and smacked Kageyama with an empty box repeatedly with the other, protesting loudly. “You went to too much trouble Bakagayama! This is too much!”  
  
Kageyama batted the box away. “Oi, stop hitting me already,” he grumbled. Hinata leaned against him. “Do you like it or not?”  
  
“Of course I like it! I love it!” Hinata’s head whipped up. Tears clung to his lashes, and for a moment Kageyama stared, stunned. “Help me put it on,” Hinata mumbled—not quite a question, but close enough.  
  
Kageyama’s lips pulled into a small smile. “Sure.” He took the pendant carefully and slid it around Hinata’s neck, fastening it in back. It rested, shining, over Hinata’s chest, flashing with every movement the smaller boy made. Hinata scooped the pendant into his hands, looking down at it, and finally, he smiled. He smiled down at the pendant as if it were the most precious thing in the world, cradling it close. And then, he turned that same heartfelt look to Kageyama.  
  
“Kageyama... thank you.”  
  
Kageyama was used to Hinata’s teasing and his jokes. Such sincere words caught him off guard. He pulled Hinata close, hugging him tight, and shook his head. “I’m glad you like them,” he murmured, brushing off the thanks as he peppered kisses over the top of Hinata’s head.  
  
“I have presents for you, too, you know,” Hinata reminded him, kissing over his jaw. “They’re at home, though... but I didn’t forget.”  
  
“Amazing,” Kageyama teased, chuckling as Hinata squawked in protest and aimed a light punch at his side.  
  
“Hey!”  
  
“You didn’t have to get me anything, you know.”  
  
“I wanted to, I already told you!” Hinata glared up at him, indignant. “And... since I don’t have anything to give you back until we go to my house....” He leaned up, and his lips met Kageyama’s in a soft kiss. Kageyama melted into it, pulling Hinata close against him. And Kageyama really thought that the kiss was what Hinata referred to—as they gravitated closer and their kisses shifted from soft and sweet to deep and heady—until Hinata pulled back, as breathless and flushed as Kageyama felt. He clumsily picked up the box of peppermint bark. “I’ll share these with you.”  
  
Kageyama huffed. “Those are yours, dumbass. You don’t have to share them with me.” He was already leaning in to pick up where they left off with kissing when Hinata shoved a piece of it in his face.  
  
“I—I want to share them with you! Just accept my offer already!”  
  
“You’re sure being difficult tonight,” Kageyama pointed out. He sighed—only to have a piece of the peppermint back shoved into his mouth. Caught somewhere between surprise and irritation, he reached up for the chocolate. Hinata was faster. The smaller redhead leaned close, halfway in Kageyama’s lap as he took a small bite from the end sticking out. Kageyama could feel Hinata’s breath tickle against his face, and nearly forgot about the chocolate altogether. Hinata licked his lips, looking up at Kageyama with pure mischief. Bastard. He was way too smooth, sometimes.  
  
“You’re the one being difficult,” Hinata teased, nibbling at what was left of the chocolate.  
  
Heat rose to Kageyama’s face. He managed to get the chocolate down without choking by some miracle before their lips met in a minty kiss. This time, it was Kageyama reaching for the chocolate. He offered it to Hinata, who took it admittedly more graciously than he had. Leaning forward, Kageyama shared the sweet bite, licking remnants of white chocolate from the smaller boy’s lips. With each piece of peppermint bark, the game grew more heated. They became bolder, Hinata straddling Kageyama’s lap, arched up against him as Kageyama tangled his free hand in his unruly hair and trailed kisses over Hinata’s jaw. He made his way over his throat, and nibbled at his earlobe, savoring the soft sounds every swipe of his tongue and gentle bite earned. Kageyama offered the last small piece, and instead of sharing it ‘nicely’ like they had (mostly) been doing, Hinata took the whole piece of chocolate into his mouth, along with Kageyama’s finger, and ran his tongue from the base all the way to the tip. He licked his lips, looking far too satisfied.  
  
Kageyama couldn’t take his eyes off of the redhead; heat pooled low in his stomach. He kissed Hinata, hard, before the chocolate was even gone. Traces of it lingered on Hinata’s tongue. The deep kiss had nothing to do with the chocolate, or their unspoken game, and everything to do with the way Hinata had looked at him up through his lashes, amber eyes full of mischief as he’d pulled that last stunt.  
  
A surprised, muffled sound escaped into the kiss as Kageyama pushed Hinata down. He braced one arm to the side to avoid crushing the smaller boy. Soft gasps punctuated their kisses; Kageyama’s tongue met Hinata’s again and again. He grazed Hinata’s tongue with his teeth and dragged them over the redhead’s lower lip. Hinata’s legs wrapped around his waist. Kageyama let out a soft, appreciative hiss as he felt just how affected they both were by all of this. The sounds Hinata let out were wanton and wonderful all at once. Soft moans and little stuttered gasps tore from his throat, broken pieces of Kageyama’s name murmured from kiss-swollen lips. His cheeks flushed and those warm eyes darkened with need. Hinata’s fingers gripped the back of Kageyama’s shirt and tangled in his hair. It was all the encouragement he needed.  
  
He lavished kisses and soft bites over Hinata’s neck—careful not to leave a mark, at least not there—tongue darting out to soothe each spot after plenty of teasing. His hand slid under Hinata’s shirt, palm sliding over the other boy’s stomach. Hinata’s breath hitched, his back arched as he pressed up into Kageyama’s hand. The redhead abandoned tugging at Kageyama’s hair, both hands fisting in his shirt instead as he pulled it insistently upward.  
  
“K... Kageyama, come _on_.”  
  
He couldn’t help letting out a soft chuckle at how frustrated and undone Hinata was already. Unwrapping the scarf from Hinata’s shoulders, he pushed the redhead’s shirt up and pulled it off. Hinata struggled to help. Before he could reach for it, his own shirt was yanked up roughly. Kageyama growled at getting a face full of the fabric and ducked out of it. He felt Hinata’s hands fumble with his pants next, fingers desperate and clumsy. Running his tongue over one of Hinata’s nipples finally got Hinata to slow down. Kageyama nipped at it, worrying the sensitive bud with his teeth before soothing it with slow laps of his tongue. Hinata’s hands fell away from his pants. His head tipped back with a soft moan. As Kageyama undid Hinata’s pants, he trailed his bites and kisses lower, over the spiker’s stomach. This time, when faint red marks lingered in his wake, they were left there deliberately. Each one the product of lavishing attention with tongue and teeth until Hinata arched up into him, and his legs wound around Kageyama. By the time Kageyama slid Hinata’s pants down, he had to untangle himself—Hinata clung to him, breathing broken and needy and music to Kageyama’s ears. He slid Hinata’s boxers with his pants, exposing every inch below.  
  
Hinata shifted, knees tucked together. A nervous hand shifted to grip the opposite arm as he reddened. Even it wasn’t their first time, the newness of this—all of this—hadn’t worn off yet.  
  
Kageyama’s eyes wandered down, memorizing every curve, every soft, toned muscle. He admired the delicate boy beneath him who was anything but that on the court. He treasured every detail: the shadow of Hinata’s ginger lashes against his cheeks; the way his eyes grew dark with need even as pink rose to his cheeks, nose, and shoulders. He reached to cup Hinata’s cheek in a hand to get him to stop hiding. Kageyama didn’t mask the intensity of his gaze—he couldn’t if he tried. Hinata was breathtaking in every sense of the word.  
  
“Hinata,” he soothed. Hinata reddened even more and turned into Kageyama’s hand. “Hey. You don’t have to look away—you know.”  
  
“D-don’t call me so formally now of all times,” Hinata grumbled, easily the shade of a tomato. “...Shouyou is fine.”  
  
Kageyama’s voice softened even as his cheeks burned. “Shouyou...” He brushed a thumb over Hinata’s cheek. Slowly, Hinata turned to look down at him. “You don’t have to hide.”  
  
“It—it’s embarrassing,” Hinata stammered. “And...! I want to see you, too, it’s not fair!”  
  
Kageyama reddened, but it was a fair request. “All right, all right,” he agreed. He leaned up to steal a quick kiss before slipping out of his pants. Hesitating, he reached to open the drawer of his nightstand and pull a couple small things out, setting them to the side.  
  
“...Tobio?”  
  
Kageyama was sure that he was glowing red. He glanced back to Hinata, and even though he knew the answer, asked, “you okay?”  
  
Hinata nodded but tugged at the waistband of Kageyama’s boxers. “C-come on,” he demanded—as if he wasn’t hiding with his knees tucked close and shoulders hunched.  
  
Kageyama bit his lower lip and summoned his courage, sliding the boxers down, too. He wasn’t used to feeling so exposed, still wasn’t used to the burning intensity of Hinata’s eyes sliding down his body. Heat pooled low inside of Kageyama. He slid a hand over Hinata’s thigh, as much to steady himself as to try to get Hinata to relax. “I want to see you, too,” he echoed, voice soft. Hinata’s breath caught, but he relaxed, legs sliding down and shoulders sinking. They were both hard already, and even though he’d expected it, a shiver of anticipation still rolled down Kageyama’s spine at the sight of Hinata’s ego, upright and attentive. His hands slid further up the redhead’s thigh, over his hip and his side. Kageyama leaned down, earning a sharp gasp as he pressed kisses to the inside of Hinata’s thigh. “You don’t—have any reason to hide,” he murmured against the fair skin. “You’re beautiful.” It should be obvious—it seemed ridiculous that Hinata couldn’t see it. He hoped if he said it enough, Hinata would start to.  
  
Fingers curled in Kageyama’s hair. “Y-you... you’re the beautiful one,” Hinata whispered.  
  
Kageyama shook his head, nose bumping into Hinata’s erection and earning a low, needy sound. He grinned at the reaction—he couldn’t get enough of it. The soft, desperate sounds and the wanton expression that Hinata made were addicting. Smirking, Kageyama ran his tongue from the base all the way to the tip exactly where Hinata wanted him most, and delighted in the sharp keening sound that Hinata let out. The redhead’s fingers tightened harder in Kageyama’s hair; his head tipped back and his eyes grew dark and lidded. Hinata’s lips parted and thighs trembled.  
  
Kageyama took the tip into his mouth, tongue swirling around it; he gripped Hinata’s hips in one hand to steady him. Hinata grabbed his other hand, squeezing it. He kept one hand tangled in Kageyama’s hair. Breathy moans greeted Kageyama’s ears as he took his sweet time teasing Hinata with long, slow drags of his tongue. It wasn’t long before Hinata begged for more, hips shaking and voice broken.  
  
“T... Tobio! Please—ah, _please_ , I need—I need more...!”  
  
Kageyama felt his hand—the one tangled with Hinata’s—yanked higher. Before he could ask what Hinata was doing, he felt Hinata’s mouth on his index finger, hot and wet. Hinata’s tongue found his middle finger, too, before sucking both of them into his mouth insistently. Arousal spiked through Kageyama, so hot and heady that he hissed in surprise. He took Hinata into his mouth, as deep as he could. His tongue slid over the underside as he sucked around the sensitive flesh. Hinata’s hips jerked under his hand, and the muffled cry that he let out was music to Kageyama’s ears. Dragging back, Kageyama dipped his tongue into the slit of Hinata’s tip before taking him deep once more. Hinata let out a symphony of soft, desperate cries, hips shaking and bucking under Kageyama’s hand. The redhead’s death grip on his wrist eased up. Hinata’s mouth felt so good, but Kageyama slid his hand free. Moving it further down, he pressed one finger against Hinata’s entrance, rubbing the saliva-slickened digit against it. He pressed harder and slid it slowly inside of Hinata.  
  
The response was immediate. Hinata arched up with a sound that should be illegal it was so good, and his legs spread shakily. He bit his lower lip, both hands fisting in Kageyama’s hair and expression screwed up in an expression caught somewhere between pleasure, discomfort, and desperation. Kageyama carefully pressed his finger upward to find that one sweet spot. He took Hinata deep into his mouth to take the redhead’s mind off of it and rubbed his thumb over Hinata’s hip encouragingly.  
  
It didn’t take him long to find the right spot. Hinata’s hips snapped forward—even with Kageyama’s hand trying to hold him down—driving Hinata deeper into Kageyama’s mouth. He felt Hinata’s ego hit the back of his throat. The threat of tears burned at his eyes as he slowly pulled back and remembered how to breathe. It was worth it, though. Any sign of discomfort had been erased from Hinata’s expression; broken pleas left the redhead’s lips as he begged for more, more, please, and he pressed back down against Kageyama’s finger.  
  
Kageyama slid off of Hinata’s length. He dragged his tongue from the base to the tip and licked away the precum beading there. Pressing another finger into Hinata, he worked and stretched him slowly, pressing kisses and licks and breathing soft puffs of air against Hinata’s straining erection. It didn’t take long before he had three lubed fingers into him, and Hinata was ready and begging for more.  
  
“K... T-Tobio...! Please, I—I need you, please,”  
  
Hinata tugged at Kageyama’s hair with shaking hands. With one last lick for good measure, Kageyama pulled back and slipped his fingers out of Hinata. Hinata whined at the sudden lack of attention; “hurry—please, ah, fuck, T-Tobio....”  
  
“I know, I am,” Kageyama reassured him, reaching for the condom next to them and opening the package. Evidently it wasn’t fast enough for Hinata, though. Before he had a chance to do much more than that, Hinata fumbling hands were on Kageyama’s and he was pushing the condom down against Kageyama’s cock with no finesse and little effectiveness. Kageyama cursed; every brush of Hinata’s hands sending small jolts of arousal through him. He reached down to help. It took both of them and more patience that Kageyama thought he possessed in order to get it on with Hinata’s ‘help.’ Hinata scrambled for the lube, pouring a (too) generous amount of it onto Kageyama. He hissed.  
  
“Fuck, that’s cold—”  
  
And Hinata was pulling him close, arms wrapped around his shoulders, grinding up against him. Kageyama bit back a moan. He grinded against Hinata in return before he reaching down to line himself up. Pressing slow and hard against Hinata’s entrance, he grit his teeth. Hinata clung to him hard. His arms stayed tight around Kageyama, and his fingers tugged at Kageyama’s hair again. Kageyama slid in, slowly, an inch at a time, and tight, searing heat surrounded him. Head falling against Hinata’s, their foreheads pressed together as Kageyama gasped. He fought every instinct to thrust hard and instead eased himself in carefully.  
  
Hinata’s breath caught. His hold tightened to a death grip as Kageyama sank all the way in.  
  
“That’s my good boy,” Kageyama breathed, fingers soothing through Hinata’s hair. He pressed a soft kiss to Hinata’s lips, struggling to remember how to breathe. He gave Hinata a moment to relax around him. Hinata’s shaky, broken breaths slowly evened, and he returned Kageyama’s kiss. His death grip eased, and his legs wrapped loosely around Kageyama’s waist.  
  
“...mm, Tobio....”  
  
Hinata shifted a little, hips leaning forward against Kageyama’s, sending a jolt of pleasure through him. He gasped with it, instinctively grinding into Hinata before pulling back and starting into a rhythm—slow, at first, then faster, harder. His hips rocked forward to meet Hinata’s, thrusting into his heat. His hand found one of Hinata’s, and he twined his fingers with the smaller boy’s. They moved together, Kageyama’s soft, appreciative moans and sharp, gasps of delight punctuating Hinata’s increasingly desperate cries. Every time he thrust in just right, Hinata’s whole body arched up into him, and the smaller boy pressed back. He tightened around Kageyama, sending jolts of pleasure surging through him.  
  
“T-Tobio,” Hinata gasped, pulling Kageyama closer, hips bucking to meet his. “Harder—faster, please, I—I’m close...!”  
  
“Fuck,” Kageyama thrust into him hard. He hit that sweet spot and earned a chorus of delighted moans from Hinata. “Me too...” Heat pooled low inside of him, and every push of Hinata’s hips, every tightening twitch pulled low moans from his lips between shared, wet kisses. He plowed into Hinata faster, as fast as he could, inspired by the way Hinata twitched and tightened around him, enveloping him in slippery heat. Each thrust sank home hard. Giving silent thanks for the overabundance of lube Hinata used, Kageyama hammering into him slickly as they clung to each other.  
  
Hinata cried out sharply—he pressed up into Kageyama, shaking and tense. His seed spilled over both of them as his head fell back in utter bliss.  
  
“T... Tobio...!”  
  
He tightened hard around Kageyama—pushing him over the edge. Sweet, blinding ecstasy washed over him as he emptied himself into the condom, and thrust into Hinata a few last, shaky times. “Sh... Shouyou,” he moaned, squeezing Hinata’s hand. His strength abandoned to a blissed-out haze. He pulled Shouyou close with one arm, rolling them onto their sides. Hinata’s legs draped still around his waist. Their arms lingered around each other as the two remembered how to breathe. Kageyama peppered tired kisses over Hinata’s head, then their lips met. Hinata smiled into the kiss—it was infectious; Kageyama’s lips tugged into a content grin as he held the smaller boy close. With Hinata cradled in his arms, he almost nodded off. Exhaustion and the lingering haze of pleasure lured him toward sleep. Hinata’s eyes drifted closed, too.  
  
“Mm, we should clean you up,” Kageyama murmured.  
  
“Hmm....”  
  
Hinata’s eyes didn’t open, he just nuzzled closer. Smiling a little, Kageyama sat them up despite Hinata’s murmured complaints.  
  
“Come on.”  
  
With a soft hiss, he pulled out of Hinata, slipped off the condom and tossed it, and stood on shaky legs. Hinata seemed uninspired to get up, so he scooped the smaller boy into his arms. Summoning what little remained of his strength, Kageyama carried Hinata to the bathroom nearby. Turning on the bath, he let the water run hot, then set Hinata down carefully, sitting on the edge.  
  
“What’re you doing...?”  
  
Kageyama raised an eyebrow. “Should I step out?”  
  
Hinata grabbed his arm and tugged. “No, dummy, you should be in here, too. Come on.”  
  
“Tub’s kind of small for that,” he pointed out. He wasn’t about to say no to an invitation like that, though. Stepping in, he found a spot behind Hinata, legs stretching out to either side of the redhead. The water filled in around them, soothing tired muscles and washing away the sticky lube and more. Hinata leaned back against him. His eyes drifting closed again.  
  
Kageyama leaned over to turn off the water as the tub finished filling. He reached instead for the shampoo and soap. Kageyama massaged shampoo into Hinata’s unruly hair and slid soapy hands over his body, earning a few appreciative sighs in the process. He helped Hinata rinse off, scrubbed himself down quickly, and took a moment to just hold Hinata close. Heat from the water radiated around them comfortably, and Kageyama’s fingers drifted through Hinata’s wet hair as he held the tired boy close. Slowly, the warmth faded, and Hinata dozed off. Kageyama drained the water away reluctantly. He grabbed a towel and managed to dry them mostly off before leading his half-asleep boyfriend back to his bedroom, stopping along the way for fresh sheets.  
  
Hinata yawned, swaying on his feet as Kageyama balled up the dirtied sheets. He replaced them with clean ones, put away the lube, and layered his bed with warm, thick blankets. He’d worry about washing the dirty sheets in the morning. As soon as the bed was ready, Hinata slid into it and patted the spot beside him. Kageyama smiled. He turned off the light and joined him, pulling Hinata close.  
  
“Good night,” he whispered. He gave Hinata a small squeeze and nuzzled into the damp, wavy locks of hair.  
  
“G’nigh,” Hinata mumbled back, snuggling closer. His arms wrapped tight around Kageyama in return.  
  
And Kageyama thought to himself that if he had the right to ask for anything for Christmas, it would be exactly this. The most incredible boy in the world curled close against him as they drifted off to sleep, warm and cozy as the blizzard raged on outside.


	3. Confession

“Kageyama....”  
  
Kageyama closed his eyes tighter and hugged the warmth in his arms closer. Something tickled his cheek as he fought to preserve the sweet peace of sleep.  
  
“Kageyama.... Tired-yama, hey—”  
  
Kageyama buried his face in soft, wild ginger hair and grumbled, not giving up on sleep yet.  
  
“ _Tobio..._.”  
  
“Hm....” Kageyama pressed a sleepy kiss to the top of Hinata’s head.  
  
“ _Tobio_ —my mom’s gonna be here soon, you gotta get up.”  
  
That woke Kageyama up in a hurry. He didn’t remember why Hinata’s mom was coming over, but he remembered enough to realize that neither he nor Hinata were wearing _anything_ , and he’d really like to keep living if possible. Last night came back in a rush—shared dinner, kisses in a snowstorm, and so much more—and Kageyama realized that he still had to pack. He was going to be staying with Hinata’s family tonight—and Hinata’s mom was going to be here soon? Neither of them had eaten, neither of them were dressed, and the adrenaline that rushed through him did absolutely nothing to help him remember what he needed to pack.  
  
He bolted upright and Hinata fell into his lap with a yelp. Running a hand through his hair, Kageyama cursed. “I need to pack.”  
  
Hinata didn’t seem to share his urgency, though. Instead, he giggled and sat up to steal a kiss. “Your hair is sticking up funny.”  
  
Kageyama huffed. “Yours looks the same as always.” He ruffled the smaller boy’s unruly hair, kissed him soft and sweet in return, and stepped out of bed. His room was a mess. Normally he kept it neat, but pieces of blue wrapping paper and a golden ribbon littered the floor, and dirty shirts were rolled up in the corner. Small empty giftboxes scattered here and there between discarded clothes, and the scarf he’d given Hinata was in the process of falling off his nightstand. “Shit....” How long did they have? He grabbed a pair of clean boxers and tugged them on before rummaging around for a pair of dark jeans and his favorite blue sweater.  
  
Hinata stifled a yawn, and started collecting his clothes from the floor, making a face. Kageyama frowned. “If you need to borrow anything, it’s fine.” He gestured at the dresser, and Hinata’s eyes lit up hopefully before he started rummaging through the drawers. Kageyama’s boxers barely stayed up on Hinata’s delicate hips—although watching them slide dangerously low was a mesmerizing sight. After finding that all of Kageyama’s pants were too long and too wide, Hinata went with his own pants and one of Kageyama’s smaller shirts. It still dwarfed the redhead.  
  
He wasn’t sure why, but the sight of Hinata in _his_  clothes was pleasant in unexpected ways. It took every ounce of self-control not to get distracted—especially when Hinata noticed the way he was looking at him and sauntered over— _sauntered_ —to pull him down for a lingering kiss.  
  
By some miracle, he managed to get the dirty sheets in the wash, cleaned his room to an acceptable level, and made them both some toast before throwing the essentials into a bag. He was just zipping the bag up and wondering how much more time they had left when he felt something tighten around his neck. He froze, bag forgotten, and panic rose up inside of him like a behemoth. Cold swept over him as he reached up to his throat. Fingertips brushed over soft satin. “...What....”  
  
“It’s the ribbon! I thought it would look cute—and it does!” Hinata skipped to stand in front of Kageyama and admire his handwork, then stopped. His expression faltered. “You okay?”  
  
Kageyama reached back to feel the bow at the back of his neck—the ribbon wasn’t even tight—he was fine. He took a deep breath and tried to chase away the dark memories that threatened to overwhelm him. He was safe here. It was just a ribbon. And Hinata... Hinata was just being Hinata. “I’m fine,” he soothed.  
  
He toyed with the idea of untying the ribbon. He was sure he looked ridiculous. Before he had the chance to do anything about it though, a knock came at his door. Mrs. Hinata! He panicked—he was going to make a bad impression, he was  _sure_ of it, and where the hell had he put his bag? He should be ready to go—he shouldn’t keep her waiting especially on Christmas Eve, and oh fuck, what was he doing uselessly turning around instead of answering the door like he was supposed to—?  
  
“Tobio!” Hinata caught him by the shirt, and stood on tip-toes, reaching up to run his fingers through Kageyama’s hair and pat it down. Heat rose to Kageyama’s face. He couldn’t help feeling grateful for the small touches; it calmed him down a little, and he breathed a small sigh, kissing Hinata’s forehead before reaching for the door.  
  
Although Kageyama was sure he’d made a bad impression—he’d forgotten his bag until he was halfway out the door, and Hinata’s mom had laughed at him when he’d bowed and introduced himself—had he messed up somehow?—Hinata and his mother both seemed in good spirits, and Kageyama was relieved to see that Hinata’s younger sister, waiting in the car, didn’t scream in terror at the sight of him. If anything she leaned forward to get a better look at him. When Hinata introduced them, Natsu straightened up with a smile as bright as her brother’s.  
  
“Oh! You’re Tobio!”  
  
Kageyama reddened a little. “Yeah.”  
  
“I like your ribbon!”  
  
Heat rose to Kageyama’s cheeks as he realized in growing horror that he still had a golden ribbon tied around his neck like a spoiled kitten. Oh no. No wonder Mrs. Hinata had laughed at him.  
  
“Big brother talks about you lots and lots! And he turns funny colors sometimes when he does,” Natsu giggled, laughter intensifying when Hinata did a demonstration of exactly how red he could turn as the small car pulled out of Kageyama’s driveway.  
  
Somehow, Kageyama survived the long drive to Hinata’s house. He relaxed as Natsu told him all about what she hoped to get for Christmas and what food they would eat and asked—to Kageyama’s embarrassment and hopeful wishing—if he would be joining them for every Christmas now. He managed to somewhat-satisfactorily answer Hinata’s mother’s questions, most of them about his parents, and exchanged a few uncertain glances with Hinata in the process. How much had he told his mom? Natsu waved her arms dramatically as she spoke which reminded him of another redhead, and he couldn’t help smiling because of it. Soon, Hinata’s half-panicked glances to the back seat turned to warm smiles, and he chimed in when he could.  
  
When they finally pulled into Hinata’s driveway, the thing that floored Kageyama most was the realization that Hinata made this trip twice, by bicycle, nearly every day. It was long for a drive—it must take ages to bike up the steep mountain roads. He’d always known that Hinata was amazing—even if he was rough and unpolished around the edges at times—but this hammered the point home all over again.  
  
“I’m home!” Hinata called as he stumbled through the door, shoes flung into the corner. Natsu shouted along with him, giggling and running to catch up.  
  
In the wake of such chaos, Kageyama’s “sorry for the intrusion” was all-but drowned out. Before he knew what was happening Hinata grabbed his hand—his cheeks burned and he shot a panicked look in the direction of Natsu and Hinata’s mother, but they paid the two no mind—and dragged him around the house to give him an ‘official tour.’  
  
The Hinata house was different from his. It was humbler, drawings pinned up to the fridge and walls, plushies tossed haphazardously onto the couch and cushions askew. The corners of the walls were scuffed, and a small collection of dishes gathered in the sink; a small TV blared on in the background. A bowl had been commandeered from the kitchen to hold a kaleidoscope of colorful hair pins and ponytail holders in the bathroom, and most of the ornaments on the small Christmas tree were homemade. Some were crude, made from paper or clay, others impressionistic paint splotches on wooden balls. And yet, there was something indescribably warm about it. For all its chaos, it felt like a real home. It felt so much more welcoming than the cold, neat emptiness Kageyama returned to every day. Warm gratitude flowered in his chest, and his feet hesitated.  
  
“And this is my room.... Tobio?”  
  
It took Kageyama a minute to find his voice; he looked down at Hinata, feeling overwhelmed. “Shouyou,” he whispered. “...thank you.”  
  
“For what?” Hinata frowned and peered up at him. “Hey, you doing okay? Did my mom and Natsu scare you that badly?”  
  
Kageyama scrubbed at his eyes with a sleeve. “I’m fine, dumbass—just, thanks for inviting me over. It... it means a lot to me.  
  
Hinata’s brows furrowed even more—almost like when he would imitate Kageyama—and then he was tugging Kageyama harder, half-dragging him into his room and shutting the door behind him.  
  
“What are you—?”  
  
Hinata cut him off with a kiss, arms curling around Kageyama’s shoulders as he stood on tiptoes. Kageyama kissed him back, pulling him close. When Hinata eased back after a minute, he brushed delicate fingers through Kageyama’s hair. “I’m glad you came,” he breathed.  
  
Kageyama smiled. Even if he was intruding... being here meant more to him than he dared try to say. Instead, he just rested his forehead against Hinata’s and hugged the smaller boy close.  
  
The moment didn’t last long. A series of knocks came at the door—right behind Kageyama. He nearly jumped out of his skin, cursing under his breath as Hinata doubled over laughing.  
  
“What—what is it, Natsu?” he managed between giggles. Kageyama shot him a half-glare and moved out of the way of the door right as Natsu plowed through.  
  
“Big brother, big brother! Can we go outside to play, _please_ , I’ll throw your ball for you! And we can make a snowman and a snow bunny! Tobio can come, too! Come on, _come on!_ ”  
  
Hinata frowned, looking over at Kageyama. Natsu clung to the doorknob, looking up at both of them with big brown eyes and a wobbly pout, and even if Hinata could endure that pleading look, Kageyama couldn’t.  
  
“It’s okay,” he told Hinata. He reached down for the old volleyball near his feet, the lettering worn off from use, and handed it to Shouyou. “I’ll grab my gloves really quick, okay, Natsu?”  
  
“Okay! Yay!” Natsu smiled up at both of them, and ran off—in the distance, Kageyama could just make out “Momma, Momma—Shou and Tobio are gonna make a snowman and a snow bunny with me!” and the slam of a door.  
  
“You didn’t have to,” Hinata reminded him as Kageyama pulled his gloves out of his bag and tugged them on, wrapping his scarf close. He grabbed Shouyou’s new scarf out of his bag, too, draping it over Hinata’s neck. Hinata grinned and pulled the soft material close as he looked up at Kageyama fondly.  
  
“I know,” Kageyama told him. He ruffled Hinata’s hair, and started out the door. “Coming?”  
  
“Of course! Race you!”  
  
“Wait—”  
  
But Hinata was already bolting through the house to his mother’s alarm, disappearing through a back door with Kageyama fumbling to put his shoes on and following after him. “Oi—Shouyou!”  
  
“Beat you!” Hinata sang, tugging at Kageyama’s scarf once he’d made it outside.  
  
“Beat you, beat you!” Natsu echoed, laughing.  
  
“Not like I even knew where the door was, that was obviously cheating,” he grumbled.  
  
“ _Oooohh,_ ” Natsu hummed dramatically, before a snowball crashed into Kageyama’s stomach. He blinked down at his tiny assailant, half-offended and uncertain if it was even right for him to toss one back at her.  
  
Not a moment later, another snowball smacked into his shoulder. Hinata grinned devilishly, and scooped up more snow, and the battle was on—Shouyou and Natsu joined forces against him, giggling as Kageyama whipped around with a “ _Hey!_ ” and scooped up a handful of snow, throwing it straight at Hinata’s face. Hinata ducked. Cursing, Kageyama threw another—and another—and it wasn’t long before all three were half-laughing, half-gasping for breath, exhausted and covered in snow. Hinata grinned, reaching over to brush snow out of Kageyama’s hair. Natsu collapsed into the snow, wiggling around in an attempt to make what Kageyama could only guess was supposed to be a snow angel.  
  
After a few minutes she grew bored, and started mounding up a pile of snow into some sort of mini-mountain.  
  
“Whatcha doing, Natsu?” Hinata hummed, leaning against Kageyama. Kageyama hid his smile in his scarf, and dusted some of the snow off of Hinata’s shoulders.  
  
“Makin’ a bunny,” she called back. The pile of snow was easily as big as she was.  
  
“That’s... a really big bunny,” Kageyama commented, raising an eyebrow.  
  
“Thanks!” Natsu giggled, arms spread out as she tried to smooth the snow into a less deformed shape. “You guys can get leaves for the ears and stuff okay?”  
  
“Okay, you can count on us!” Hinata proclaimed. He grabbed Kageyama’s hand, pulling him over to the bushes near the fence. The rhododendrons looked worse for wear after last night’s blizzard, but they still managed to find two long leaves. Hinata dug under the snow like an excited pup until he surfaced with his treasure—a handful of dark pebbles. “We don’t have berries right now—but these should work!”  
  
“Good job,” Kageyama told him, patting him on the head.  
  
Hinata stuck his tongue out and laughed. “You’re too formal, _Kageyama-kun_ , you might try being a bit more familiar with your boyfriend, you know.” And he winked. He _winked_. And ran off, leaving Kageyama clutching two big leaves, face burning as he wondered what the hell he’d done wrong.  
  
“Tobio...! Mister bunny needs ears, come _on...!_ ” Natsu cried out dramatically, flopping back into the snow as if her very life depended on it.  
  
“C-coming...!” Sure his face was still bright red, Kageyama made his way back over to Natsu. He presented her with the two big leaves, earning a shriek of delight. ‘Mister bunny’ already had two little pebble eyes and a pebble nose, and the long, tapered leaves were poked in for ears, finishing her masterpiece. He was wildly disproportionate. The enormous mound of snow dwarfed the leaves Kageyama brought, making the snow bunny look more like a snow cat or snow beetle with teeny tiny beady eyes, but Natsu hugged him and laughed.  
  
“He’s beautiful!” she cried.  
  
Kageyama couldn’t help smiling. “He looks really nice,” he agreed—and Hinata stared at him with a mixture of disbelief and adoration. “Ready to work on receives... Shouyou?”  
  
“Yeah!” Hinata scrambled for the volleyball, throwing it in Kageyama’s direction.  
  
Practicing in the snow proved to be more interesting than Kageyama had anticipated. Kageyama and Hinata took turns slipping in the snow, and their coats interfered with bumping, sending the volleyball ricocheting off in random directions. The ball went flat in the cold, and after awhile of trying to pass it back and forth (and providing entertainment to Natsu, who burst out laughing every time one of them slipped), Kageyama and Hinata agreed to save practice for the gym. Instead, they helped Natsu make a small snowman to keep her bunny company. As they put the finishing touches on him, the door to the house opened.  
  
“Lunch time!” Hinata’s mom called.  
  
Before Kageyama knew what was happening, Hinata and Natsu were racing for the door, leaving him to chase after them. He hurried back inside, slipping off his coat and shoes as Natsu and Hinata’s chopsticks dove into their curry. Mrs. Hinata chastised them for not waiting and reminded them to chew before they swallowed before shooting Kageyama an apologetic look. He didn’t mind though. If anything, Hinata’s usual antics put him at ease. He accepted a plate of curry and rice gratefully from Mrs. Hinata, mumbling his thanks as he took a seat beside his boyfriend.  
  
The sharp tang of spice filled the air, warm and welcoming. Two soft-boiled eggs sliced in half sat on top of the small mountain of curry, vegetables, chicken, and rice. He smiled down at his lunch. “Thank you for the meal,” he mumbled, before digging in.  
  
He worried at first that he didn’t really belong at the table. He stood easily a head above anyone here, all awkward nerves and stiff politeness as Natsu poked Hinata with dripping chopsticks and they bartered loudly over bites of chicken and favorite vegetables. It didn’t last, though. Hinata’s chopsticks found their way into his lunch, sneaking out morsels of chicken as the redhead stuck his tongue out rebelliously.  
  
“Hey, if you’re gonna take that, I’m taking this,” Kageyama huffed, grabbing the last half of a soft-boiled egg off of Hinata’s plate. The other half had been snatched by Natsu early on.  
  
“Fine, I like this more anyway,” Hinata teased, grinning.  
  
Mrs. Hinata looked strangely relieved.  
  
In the wake of lunch, things settled down. Hinata asked Kageyama what he thought about some of the schools they would be going up against—and about more famous volleyball teams that were up-and-coming with frequent televised matches. Natsu commandeered the remote to the TV, finding a spot right in front to stare in awe at the young protagonist and his ghostly friends. Mrs. Hinata retreated to the kitchen to finish dishes, and then disappeared entirely, although the suspicious noise of crinkled paper gave Kageyama a clue as to why she’d vanished.  
  
Hinata slid a hand into his, tugging. “Come on.”  
  
“Where?”  
  
“To my room! Come on, I want to give you your gift, too.”  
  
Kageyama let Hinata lead him, squeezing the shorter boy’s hand. “Christmas isn’t until tomorrow,” he reminded him.  
  
Hinata wrinkled his nose. “Didn’t stop you! You gave me my gift early, so I get to give you your gift early.”  
  
He had a point. Hinata pulled and pushed Kageyama into his room, exerting a comical amount of effort to do so, before shutting the door behind them. He vaulted onto his bed, and when Kageyama looked around, not sure if it was too forward for him to join Hinata, the redhead patted the spot beside him. “Well, don’t just stand there!”  
  
“Yeah, yeah.” Easy for Hinata to say, this was his house. Kageyama still worried he was intruding. He gave in and sat beside his boyfriend though. It earned him a quick kiss that left him smiling as Hinata dug around for something under his bed. He emerged with two slightly battered packages wrapped in pastel yellow paper with pink sticker-backed bows. Hinata turned almost as pink as they were as he pushed the packages into Kageyama hands.  
  
“Merry Early Christmas, Tobio.”  
  
Kageyama reached over to brush fingers through Hinata’s hair and press a kiss to his forehead. Hinata giggled a little and pushed him away. “No, no, open it first okay?”  
  
“All right.” Kageyama ruffled Hinata’s hair before returning his attention to the packages in his lap. He picked up the smaller one, unwrapping it carefully.  
  
Hinata groaned through the whole process, urging him to hurry up and reminding him that “it’s just paper, Tobio, you can just rip it you know.”  
  
When he’d untaped enough of the paper, Kageyama slid out its contents: a DVD. More specifically, a movie featuring a dramatic teenage superhero spiking a flaming volleyball at a monster. It was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever seen, but Hinata’s eyes lit up with excitement. He gushed about how much he’d wanted to watch it—and about how maybe they could watch it together, tonight. Kageyama laughed and shook his head. “If you want to,” he agreed, more for Hinata’s benefit than his own.  
  
“I do! Okay, open the other one, come on—” Hinata nudged the bigger package and scooted closer to lean against Kageyama’s side.  
  
Kageyama pressed a kiss to the smaller boy’s temple, earning an impatient huff as Hinata nudged the package again. Removing the pink stick-on ribbon, Kageyama pressed it into Hinata’s hair and grinned at the sight. Hinata reddened but crossed his arms, waiting. “I’m opening it, settle down.” Within a few seconds he had the paper off of a white paper box. Frowning curiously, he lifted the lid and was greeted with a heavenly scent. The sweet aroma of vanilla, chocolate, and brown sugar rose up from so many chocolate-chip cookies that he couldn’t even begin to count them. He wondered how many batches were in the box. A lot. Some of the chocolate had smudged on the inside of the box and the cookies were abstract shapes, each one a little different. “You made these?”  
  
Hinata fidgeted, looking down sheepishly. “I know they aren’t as pretty as the chocolates you gave me,” he grumbled. “But, I worked really hard on them, so... I hope that you like them.”  
  
“Of course I like them!” Kageyama stared in shock. He wondered if Hinata realized that the box of endless cookies meant so much more knowing that Hinata had made them himself. He’d made them just for Kageyama. Kageyama hugged the box a little closer.  
  
“You haven’t even tried one yet!” Hinata sulked, unconvinced.  
  
Kageyama picked up one of the cookies. Chocolate smudged onto his fingertips, but he didn’t mind. He took a bite and closed his eyes, breathing out a soft sigh. They were every bit as sweet and buttery as they smelled. He finished the cookie off, savoring it. “They’re good,” he told Hinata. “Really good.”  
  
“Really?” Hinata perked up a little.  
  
Kageyama grinned, and leaned over to steal a deep, lingering kiss. “Really. Thanks, Shouyou.”  
  
Hinata hummed into the kiss, leaning closer as Kageyama brushed his tongue over his lower lip. Pulling back, Kageyama picked up another cookie and popped it into Hinata’s mouth, muffling the redhead’s giggles. He stole a bite off the other end, and reached over to pull Hinata close. Hinata protested though, grabbing his wrists and holding them out. “Wait, no! Your hands are all chocolatey, Tobio!”  
  
“So? Come here.”  
  
“Don’t get it on my clothes, hey!” Hinata tugged his hand closer, taking each chocolate-covered finger into his mouth. He sucked the chocolate off one-by-one, the heat of his mouth and long licks of his tongue enveloping each one. Kageyama bit back a soft, appreciative sound and shot a half-hearted glare in Hinata’s direction. Hinata lapped over his palm and gave him a coy look.  
  
“Not fair,” Kageyama growled, nuzzling into Hinata’s throat. He pressed kisses down the length of it. Sinking his teeth where Hinata’s neck met his shoulder earned him a shuddering sound from the smaller boy. He soothed the spot with his tongue, blowing over the spot until Hinata squirmed and protested. Putting the lid back on his giant box of cookies, Kageyama set them safely in the corner with the unusual movie on top. He returned his attention to Hinata and pulled him close, stealing another heated kiss. “Don’t get me all riled up when I can’t do anything about it,” he warned.  
  
“Who says you can’t do anything about it?” Hinata kissed him back. Their tongues met in slow, languid sweeps and Hinata leaned into him, shifting closer into his arms and onto his lap.  
  
“Dumbass...” Kageyama managed between heady kisses. His fingers found their way into Hinata’s hair. “Your mom and sister could hear us—what if,” Kageyama bit back a soft sound as Hinata’s hands slid under his shirt, playing along the hem of his jeans before brushing higher over his stomach and chest. “What if Natsu barges in again—we should wait, Shouyou.” He hated saying that. He didn’t want to stop, and Hinata clearly didn’t either. But he also didn’t want to get thrown out of Hinata’s house and forbidden to ever see him again.  
  
Hinata glared up at him petulantly. His hands retreated. Kageyama had a point, and they both knew it. Kageyama stroked fingers through Hinata’s hair apologetically, and pulled him close for a softer, sweeter kiss. Heat rose to his face as he told Hinata, “you can visit my house sometimes, if you want. And we don’t have to hold back then, okay?”  
  
Realization dawned over Hinata’s features. His eyes widened, and he asked, “can I really?”  
  
“Of course. Though if we have a test coming up you have to help me study, too.” Not that it helped much. Usually study sessions between the two ended with both of them lost and finding something else to entertain themselves with.  
  
Hinata wrinkled his nose. “Still worth it.”  
  
Grinning, Kageyama pressed kisses into Hinata’s hair and wrapped his arms around him. “Good.”  
  
He leaned back, pulling Hinata down with him. Hinata scooted as close as he could, throwing an arm around Kageyama’s waist. Kageyama kept both arms around the smaller boy and relaxed. He sifted fingers through Hinata’s wild red hair. Hinata’s breathing evened out, and he snuggled close against him with a content sound. Before long, Hinata’s eyes drifted closed, expression peaceful. Kageyama pressed a light kiss to his forehead. Pulling a nearby blanket over both of them, he listened to the slow rhythm of Hinata’s breaths and closed his eyes.  
  
“...I love you, Shouyou,” he whispered.  
  
He closed his eyes, already close to joining Hinata in sleep when he heard the unexpected reply.  
  
“I love you too, Tobio.”  
  
His eyes snapped open, and he looked down in shock at Hinata. The redhead smiled and peeked one eye partway open. Heat rose to Kageyama’s cheeks. His voice caught in his throat. “I didn’t know you were still—” He swallowed, trying again. “...you do?”  
  
“’M glad I was,” Hinata mumbled, leaning up to press his lips to Kageyama’s. “And I do.”  
  
The threat of tears burned at Kageyama’s eyes, and he hugged Hinata tighter, kissing him back. “Me too,” he whispered.  
  
They shared soft, sleepy kisses, curled close under the blanket before dozing off. When sleep finally claimed Kageyama, butterflies still fluttered in his chest, and his cheeks and ears still burned. He nuzzled into Hinata’s hair, hugging him closer. A content sigh escaped him as he relaxed.  
  
Peace stole over the two as warm slumber claimed them, and they napped all the way until dinner.  
  
Hours later, Natsu’s voice came from the other side of the door. “Dinner, dinner! Come on, aren’t you guys hungry?” She knocked and sighed dramatically.  
  
“Coming, Natsu,” Hinata mumbled. He nuzzled closer to Kageyama. Kageyama hugged him, blinking as he worked to wake up. He stifled a yawn into Hinata’s shoulder. Natsu groaned on the other side of the door.  
  
Reluctantly, Kageyama sat up. He pulled Hinata with him and stumbled out of bed. His stomach rumbled approvingly. Hinata grumbled at being pulled upright and leaned against Kageyama, swaying a little.  
  
“Oi, wake up.” Hinata planted his face in Kageyama’s chest and didn’t answer.  
  
“ _Shou..._!” Natsu keened outside, something like the sound of small feet hitting against the door.  
  
“Shouyou,” Kageyama echoed, peppering kisses over Hinata’s head and throat until the redhead squirmed ticklishly. “We shouldn’t keep your mom and sister waiting.”  
  
Hinata groaned but didn’t budge. “Wha’s for dinner?” he called out, mostly muffled by Kageyama’s sweater.  
  
“Hot pot!” Natsu chirped. “Hurry, Shou, I’m hungry!”  
  
“Oh,” Hinata peeked up with growing interest. “Mom’s hot pots are really good....” He looked up at Kageyama, and tugged on his arm. “Come on Kageyama, let’s go!”  
  
“That’s what I’ve been saying,” Kageyama reminded him. Natsu tumbled into the room as soon as they opened the door, then somersaulted back up to run ahead to the table with frantic cries to hurry. Before they made it out of the hall, something crossed Hinata’s expression. He shoved Kageyama up against the wall. “What?” Kageyama gave Hinata a weak glare as the redhead pressed close against him on tip toes and stole a quick kiss. Hinata’s fingers worked through Kageyama’s hair, brushing and smoothing it as the smaller boy fought back laughter.  
  
“Your hair is messed up again. Mom’s gonna get suspicious, come here.”  
  
“We didn’t even do anything, no thanks to you—we just took a nap.”  
  
“Yeah, well, still.” Hinata let out a satisfied hum, stroking Kageyama’s hair a couple more times before he released him. “Okay, come on.”  
  
By the time they arrived at the table, the savory scent of simmering meat and vegetables and tangy broth filled the home, chasing away any remnants of sleep. An enormous pot sat in the center of the table, fragrant steam wafting up from cooking vegetables, meat, mushrooms, and eggs. Natsu squirmed, chopsticks in hand, waiting with impatient sounds. As soon as Kageyama and Hinata took their seats, she snatched a few piece of meat. Mrs. Hinata poured tea for each of them before taking a seat of her own. They made short work of dinner—Hinata and Natsu argued over prized morsels and Mrs. Hinata disappeared now and again with more vegetables and sliced meat.  
  
“Hinata, could you pass the....” Kageyama stopped, and reddened as all three of the others looked at him. Heat rose to his cheeks as he amended himself. “Er, Shouyou, could you pass the soy sauce?”  
  
After the table had been cleared, Natsu excused herself with an armful of crayons and Hinata started up the DVD he’d given Kageyama after dinner. He found a spot on the couch, patting the spot beside him. Kageyama joined him, pulling a blanket from where it was half-tucked into the cushions and wrapping it around both of them. He rested an arm around Hinata’s waist and pressed a kiss to the top of his head when he was sure Natsu and Mrs. Hinata weren’t around.  
  
“I like it when you call me Shouyou,” Hinata murmured, pressing butterfly-light kisses to Kageyama’s jaw. “Do you like it when I call you Tobio?”  
  
Kageyama hid a smile against Hinata’s hair. “Yeah.”  
  
On TV, a masked superhero introduced himself, palming a flaming volleyball toward the screen. Hinata let out an appreciative “oooh,” and Kageyama bit back a laugh. He enjoyed seeing Hinata’s reactions more than  the movie itself, eyes darting to the smaller redhead every time Hinata straightened with suspense or grinned with delight. When the volleyball superhero’s prized volleyball burst to shreds of leather against the villain’s swords Hinata hid his face against Kageyama’s chest, peeking out worriedly. Kageyama hugged him closer.  
  
“He’ll figure something out,” he reassured him.  
  
“But his volleyball....”  
  
As Kageyama predicted, things worked out in the end. A young fan of the masked volleyball hero offered her own much-loved volleyball in a tearful scene and begged him to save her dad. The superhero didn’t disappoint, and soon dad and daughter were reunited, safe once more.  
  
“That movie made no sense,” Kageyama mused. It had been amusing enough to watch, though, and a nice excuse to hold Hinata close and admire the smile that flashed across his features at each new exciting scene.  
  
“Bakageyama, it’s a superhero movie! It doesn’t have to make sense! What’s important is that good wins and everyone gets a happy ending!”  
  
“Except the villain.”  
  
“Well, obviously. He was a bad guy.”  
  
Kageyama rested his head on top of Hinata’s and hummed. He wanted to say that life wasn’t like that at all. That sometimes bad guys got their way. That sometimes there wasn’t a hero to save those who suffered. And that hard work wins above all else. But he didn’t want to spoil the mood so he ran his fingers through Hinata’s hair instead. Even if the world wasn’t always fair or right, maybe Hinata was right about happy endings. Being here, with Hinata curled up close in his arms was the happiest ending he could ask for. Well, except... “let’s win Nationals together, Shouyou.”  
  
Hinata looked up, surprised. He searched Kageyama’s expression before breaking into a bright smile. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Let’s win. Together.”


	4. Family

Christmas morning at the Hinata household was more chaotic than Kageyama could have ever prepared himself for. Natsu ran shrieking in delight through the halls until he and Hinata emerged, and Hinata cornered him to tie the golden ribbon back around his neck despite his protests.  
  
“It’s cute!”  
  
“You’re cute,” Kageyama shot back, reddening.  
  
Hinata turned an impressive shade of pink, but grinned up at him. “You’re cute!”  
  
Kageyama smooshed the pink bow back into Hinata’s hair and pulled him close for a quick kiss in the hallway. He stole a couple more, before telling Hinata, “maybe I should wait in your room—this is your family, your Christmas. I don’t want to intrude.”  
  
Hinata aimed a light punch at his stomach. “You’re not intruding, stop it! Come on!”  
  
Kageyama frowned at him, unconvinced. He followed him reluctantly to where Mrs. Hinata and Natsu waited. Hinata dashed forward with an excited yelp toward the pile of presents under the tree. Kageyama held back, hovering by the couch before taking a seat. He kept quiet, content to watch Hinata and Natsu rip open gifts triumphantly and half-hoping that everyone would forget he was there until Mrs. Hinata passed him a gift. He looked up in shock, sure there must be some mistake.  
  
“Merry Christmas, Tobio, I’m glad you were able to join us,” she told him. “Don’t be a stranger, okay? Come and visit anytime.”  
  
Kageyama struggled to find his voice, hugging the wrapped package close. “...thank you very much, Mrs. Hinata. Merry Christmas.”  
  
His throat tightened with emotion, and he was saved from having to say more as Hinata jumped onto the couch with him and Natsu pushed a colorful envelope toward him decorated with too many stickers. “This is for you!” Natsu told him, giggling before hiding behind her brother.  
  
Everyone seemed to be waiting on him. The rest of the presents had been opened and sorted through, only Kageyama’s remained. His face burned as he opened the one from Mrs. Hinata first. An ornament in the shape of a volleyball with “Karasuno” written in careful lettering sat atop a blue and gray running jacket.  
  
“I hope it fits—why don’t you try it on, dear?”  
  
Kageyama set the colorful envelope and ornament aside gently, standing up. He slid the jacket on and zipped it up experimentally. The sleeves were a little long, the ends brushing up against his knuckles but otherwise it fit well. It was lightweight but already Kageyama could feel warmth collecting around him.  
  
“Thank you so much,” he told Mrs. Hinata, struggling to contain a smile. “It’s very nice.”  
  
“Well, you look very nice in it! Right Shouyou?”  
  
Shouyou turned dark red. “Y-yeah!”  
  
“Mine next! Open mine next, Tobio!” Natsu prodded the envelope into his side and looked up at him with wide brown eyes. He took it carefully and opened the flap, sliding a piece of paper out. A drawing stared back at him, in crayon. A short boy with red hair holding a tall boy with black hair’s hand. A volleyball sat at their feet and wobbly rainbow arched above them. In rough-scrawled writing, “Shouyou and Tobio” was written on the bottom. Kageyama bit his lower lip, fighting back the wave of emotion from the sight.  
  
“Do you like it?” Natsu asked, peeking up at him.  
  
“I love it very, very much.” And it was true. He held the drawing close, cherishing it, and gave Natsu a smile even as he blinked back tears. “Thank you, Natsu. I’ll hang it up in my room, okay?”  
  
“Promise?”  
  
“Promise.”  
  
“Merry Christmas, Tobio!”  
  
“Merry Christmas, Natsu.” He beamed down at the drawing, feeling lucky and grateful beyond words. It was by far the best Christmas he could remember having in a long, long time. When another small box poked at his arm, he looked down in surprise. Hinata sheepishly pushed it his way.  
  
“One more,” he told Kageyama. Red blossomed in his cheeks as he risked a glance up at Kageyama.  
  
Kageyama accepted the small box, frowning in confusion. Hinata had given him his gifts yesterday. Right? “From you?”  
  
“From me.”  
  
“And you complained about me giving you three things.”  
  
“You went overboard!”  
  
“Did not,” Kageyama mumbled. “If anyone did, it was you.” He thought back to the endless box of cookies that must have taken an eternity to bake.  
  
Hinata groaned. “Open it already, Tobio.”  
  
Kageyama untaped the edges and lifted the lid. Something small sparkled inside. Shifting tissue aside, he revealed a charm bracelet. A volleyball, a heart, and a feather dangled from it, catching the light. Shocked, he picked it up and slid it over his wrist, admiring it.  
  
Hinata turned an even darker shade of red, if possible, which was Kageyama’s first clue that he had something to add. “Um,” Hinata started, tugging an identical bracelet out of his pocket. “I got one, too—so, we can match, you know?” He pushed it onto his wrist, and held his hand up next to Kageyama’s to prove that they did, indeed match.  
  
“Shouyou....” Kageyama slid his hand into Hinata’s, fingers twining together. “You definitely went overboard.”  
  
Hinata wrinkled his nose and gave Kageyama’s hand a squeeze. “Just accept my gift already! If it’s that big of a deal... then you can treat me to meatbuns on Monday after practice.” He gave a small grin.  
  
“Deal,” Kageyama told him. It sounded a lot like a date. He couldn’t help smiling at the thought. He gave Hinata’s hand a light squeeze. “And... thank you. Merry Christmas, Shouyou.”  
  
“Merry Christmas, Tobio.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry I’ve been so slow with updates—I have been working on a very big project that I’m so excited to share with all of you! Because LGBT+ fiction, nonfiction, and art still faces massive discrimination in the publishing industry, I want to start up an LGBT+ literary and art journal to give a voice to artists and writers who might otherwise be silenced, and celebrate their talent! I have some amazing volunteers helping with this project and just launched the Kickstarter here: https://tinyurl.com/ybgvv89d
> 
> If this is a cause that you are passionate about as well please, please check it out and share this with your friends! Let’s make the world a better place together!
> 
> I’m really excited to share new chapters with all of you as I work toward catching up on old fics and introducing a few brand new fics, so stay tuned! Thank you all for reading! Your kind words and kudos make writing even more rewarding and I love sharing stories that are dear to my heart with all of you.


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